- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
So would you say that Miki and Kevin V. are also similar since they both excell at jumping :think:
Actually, now that you mention it, they are kind of similar...
I like them both. :yes;
So would you say that Miki and Kevin V. are also similar since they both excell at jumping :think:
He's the male Sasha Cohen.
Anyway, no matter who's camp everyone's in, I believe Takahashi won with no dispute. So Takahashi saved the day! I can imagine what would be like if Chan won.
Takahashi will probably successfully defend his title next year at Worlds in Japan. I wonder how Chan will feel being a bridesmaid yet again.
:agree: I hope they'll also mention how he rocked "Eye."1. Daisuke Takahashi: In one of the posts here people listed their favourite programs of the season. The only man to get a consistent, high total for both programs was Mr. Swan Lake himself (Abbott and Oda had the SP and LP of the season, individually. Yu Na Kim had a lot of support for Gershwin, but Bond dwarfed it by about twenty-five votes). Takahashi: the first Japanese male to win gold at Worlds and also the first Japanese male to medal in Olympic Figure Skating. What else can be said?
How about this. He goes for a quadruple flip despite the fact that the system doesn’t reward it (or more accurately, the ancillary bonus in PCS is basically negligible with him), despite the fact that it’s hugely risky. And despite the fact that he’s been back after a year long break. Why? To challenge himself. To push himself. And he nearly lands it (UR? Who cares at this point). In a season with a lot of teeth gnashing about it being a funeral for quads, moreso than Plushenko or Lysacek or Chan or Abbott, this is the guy who’ll inspire the next group of figure skaters. In 2026, there’ll be people competing at the Olympics in ... (insert city of choice) who’ll cite Takahashi as the reason they got involved. They’ll mention the wonderfully choreographed trip in “La Strada” or the dazzling dance in “Swan Lake” or the confidently sensual Tango. Maybe they’ll mention that cool flip he opens his program with.
Takahashi will probably successfully defend his title next year at Worlds in Japan. I wonder how Chan will feel being a bridesmaid yet again.
The plain truth from Patrick Chan
March 25, 2010
By Scott Russell
Turin, Italy -- Refreshing.
That's the way Patrick Chan is - refreshingly honest. And he discusses matters in such a way that he separates himself from most other elite athletes out there.
"It stinks," he said of his fifth-place finish at the Vancouver Olympics. "Then it settles in and you understand that you're not the only star here Patrick. You're not the only one working his butt off to get somewhere."
That qualifies as an epiphany.
It seems the Olympic experience actually meant something deeper than a medal chase and an endorsement deal to Canada's top male figure skater.
This is the same skater who struggled with injury and parted with a long-time coach just prior to the Games. Chan is a gifted world championship silver medalist who once wondered aloud if he could commit another four years to the dream once Vancouver was over.
"The Olympics transform you," Chan proclaimed, his eyes the size of frying pans. "No one can explain it to you. They are a different kind of animal. Being with so many other athletes and seeing what they are capable of ... the biathletes, speed skaters and ski jumpers, well, it motivates you to go on."
Wants the quad
So at the world figure skating championships here in Turin, Chan is plotting a course. He claims it will take him to the next Olympics in Russia in four years time. He's talking about getting the highly coveted quad jump yes, but he's also looking into a crystal ball and he likes what he sees.
"There's definitely no outside pressure on me," Chan said. "Here it's all about me. I definitely want to win and think I can."
That's the key. In spite of what unfolds in the present, Patrick Chan believes he can win in the future. Something happened to him at the Olympics and it served to change his mind.
It made him full of wonder again.
"I saw that one day I could dominate," he figured. "I saw that I could one day leave a lasting impression on my sport."
Patrick Chan is only 19-years-old. His words have sometimes been misinterpreted as hastily conceived or even worse - false bravado.
Watching him closely now, one is left with a completely different impression.
He is a supremely talented kid who actually speaks the plain truth.
Were you one of those who predicted Takahashi would win in Gothenburg? Though more curiously, has anyone been second place to three consecutive world champions?
Were you one of those who predicted Takahashi would win in Gothenburg? Though more curiously, has anyone been second place to three consecutive world champions?
Nope. Dai wasn't quite as hungry then, and a lot more inconsistent.
But being a "bridesmaid" doesn't necessarily mean silver. It could mean bronze (all those upandcomers, ya know).
Most eligible figure skaters believe they can win in the future, or they wouldn't be in the game, practicing day in and day out for years. But very few figure skaters spend as much time touting themselves in the media the way Chan does.
And now we hear Chan is bringing back "Phantom" for another year. This much overused piece of music has a strong emotional component that some skaters have used to their advantage (Davis/White, e.g.). But touching the emotions of the audience is Chan's very major weak point, and this music does him no favors, but makes him appear even more robotic than usual. Bad move, Patrick.
I'm just tired of hearing that in men's singles skating-being an all around skater doesn't include having great jumps. While this isn't figure jumping, jumps are a HUGE part of the tradition of men's single's skating. The all around skater should be able to pull of the hard jumps, hard spins, and hard footwork. Like Daisuke [pretty much did] tonight.